Safety ladder



y 1950 N. N. BOGGS ET AL 2,507,396

SAFETY LADDER Filed June 29, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tz j I T NTOR NelsonVBIZQQG S EarZ (Negro Ye 5mm? VM WaZfe/"J'.

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ATTD RN EYE y 1950 N. N. BOGGS ET AL 2,507,396

SAFETY LADDER Filed June 29, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I g 4L 1 za /4 Z6 IINVENTORS NeZson N. 5 96, far? 0026 rol e a, li 'resi W QZZfe/u ATTEI RNEYS Patented May 9, 1950 SAFETY LADDER Nelson N. Boggs, Wakefield, EarlColegrove, Lucasvill'e, and .I orrest W. Walters, Piketon, OhioApplication June 29, 1948, Serial No. 35,876

2 Claims.

This invention relates to step ladders.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a handle grip forstep ladders which is extended into a position of use as the ladder isopened up and which is automatically lowered as the ladder is closed andwherein this handle grip will extend upwardly to an elevated locationabove the ladder and at the same time serves as a support for a platformor shelf on which paint pails can be rested and thereby providing anextension for a step ladder and permits the use of the top step.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a step ladder witha handle grip and extended shelf, which is of simple construction,inexpensive to manufacture, automatically extended and retracted as theladder is opened and closed, and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevational view of the ladder with the legs extended and the handlegrip elevated.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the ladder after it has been closedand the handle grip reti'acted.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the ladder and handle grip.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on line 55 ofFig. 3.

Referring now to the figures, iii represents the front legs of theladder having transverse steps I l and tie rods I2. At the upper end ofthe front legs are fixed angle plates [3 for supporting a top step Itand to which rear legs It; are pivoted as at I6. These rear legs havebraces connected between them.

The angle members It respectively have projections 58 with openingstherein through which vertically extending pipe rods l9 may be adjustedand guided. The lower ends of the rods are pivotally connected as at 2|to the connection of toggle links 22 and 23 which are respectivelyconnected to the front and rear legs of the ladder and which hold theladder legs in their extended positions. When the ladder legs areextended latch rods 24 and 25 connected to operating member 26 on thebottom face of step I4 will be extended by their respective springs 26and 21 into openings in the respective pipes l9. Inasmuch as the pipesl9 are held against vertical adjustment, the links 22 and 23 will beretained and serve to brace the legs of the ladder apart. When the pipesI9 are released, they may be lowered and the links 22 and 23 collapsedand folded along with the legs of the ladder in the manner as shown inFig. 2.

The operating member 26 is pivoted on a depending bracket 28 asindicated at 29, Fig. 5.

A continuous and bent pipe 3| is connected between the pipe members [9to provide inclined handle grips at the opposite sides of the ladder asindicated respectively at 32 and has a bracket for a top shelf 33 onwhich paint pails and the like can be placed. The member 3i is ofU-shape but has its respective legs bent in two places as indicated at34 and 35. The shelf 33 is secured to the U-shaped member by screws 36,Fig. 4.

In operation, it will be seen that the ladder can be extended orcollapsed in the usual manner and that the handle grip supporting pipesl9 serve to lock the ladder legs in their extended positions. Theoperating member 26 can be pivoted to retract rods 24 and 25 from thepipes whereby to free the pipes l9 and to permit the toggle links 22 and23 to be folded.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A step ladder comprising front and rear legs, said front legs havinga top step, the rear legs pivotally connected to the top step, foldablelinks connected in pairs respectively between the opposite sides of thefront and rear legs, rods connected respectively to the pairs of linksand extending upwardly, guide means on the top step for the rods toretain them against lateral displacement, and latch means extendingbetween the top step and the vertically extending rods for retaining therods against vertical displacement and the links in their extendedpositions whereby to retain the legs separated from one another and amember for connecting the rods together at their upper ends.

2. A step ladder as defined in claim 1 and said member being of U-shapehaving its respective legs bent in two places and having a connectingportion, the respective legs of the U-shaped member being connected atthe upper end of a rod and at a lower elevation thereon and providingfor handle grip portions extending outwardly over the front legs and ata side thereof. and a shelf mounted on the connecting portion of theU-shaped member.

NELSON N. BOGGS. EARL COLEGROV E. FORREST W. WALTERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 296,920 Brannan Apr. 15. 1884922,306 Mead May 18, 1909 950,469 Barth Mar. 1, 1910 2,381,492 FennerAug. 7, 1955

